Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines, and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are most likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting of the machines.
Consequently, shrewd operators strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines available because such machines attract frequent play and, hence, increase profitability to the operator. In the competitive gaming machine industry, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to produce new types of games, or enhancements to existing games, which will attract frequent play by increasing the entertainment value and excitement associated with the game.
Some games use wild symbols, or wild cards, to enhance a player's excitement because wild symbols increase the likelihood of obtaining a winning combination. In general, a wild symbol is a symbol that can vary according to the selected combination of symbols. For example, if a winning combination in a slot machine is won by selecting three cherry symbols aligned along a payline, then the winning combination can also be won if a wild symbol is selected instead of one or more of the cherry symbols. Thus, the three-cherry winning combination can be won by any combination of three symbols selected from the group of cherry and wild symbols that land along an active payline.
In one type of existing games, one of a plurality of displayed symbols is designated as a wild symbol after the completion of each game. For example, after a player spins a plurality of reels an outcome displays an arrangement of symbols consisting of a first symbol, a second symbol, and a third symbol. Then, in a secondary display, the second symbol is designated as a wild symbol after the outcome has been displayed. A problem with this type of games is that the player does not know the location in which the wild symbol will be located, and, consequently, the player is not encouraged to anticipate a wild symbol in a known location. A related problem with this type of games is that it makes it too difficult for the player to visually anticipate all the winning combinations based on a wild symbol. Because the location of the wild symbol is not clearly distinguishable, the player is forced to mentally search the displayed symbols for the designated wild symbols to determine which combinations are winning combinations. Making a game more difficult results in a less pleasurable gaming experience for the player.
In another type of existing games, a bonus symbol is designated as a wild symbol for a plurality of spins during a bonus game of a reel game. After spinning the reels, the bonus symbol remains fixed in the same location only after the bonus symbol has landed in that location and only for a limited number of spins. One problem with this type of games is that the player is uncertain whether the bonus symbol will ever be selected. Thus, the player does not necessarily anticipate a winning combination based on a wild symbol because it is not guaranteed that any of the selected symbols will be wild symbols. Another problem with this type of games is that the bonus symbol remains fixed only for a limited number of spins. For example, the bonus symbol will remain fixed only for the remainder of a predetermined number of free spins awarded after a bonus game has been awarded.
Thus, there is a need to overcome the problems associated with gaming machines using wild symbols. The present invention is directed to satisfying this and other needs.